The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1887-06-03
At CLAWS OLD HOME.

xAs Greet kssssskisa,s Descendants and
How and Where They Live.
Il was late in the afternoon when
rang the bell to the main entrance to
the mansion. A bright-eyed young
miss responded, and as I handed hel
my card realized at once, not with.
out . slight feeling of emotion. too,
that I was being greeted by the great.
granddaughter of Henry Clay. Young
as she is, she evidently knows what
Kentucky hospitality is, for without
CHANGING at the card even. she ushered
her visitor into noble drawing-rO0m,
where bright coal fire was blazing.
1t is an imposing mansion, this historic
home of the Clays. The first entrance
is into large square hall finished in
polished ash and foored with hard
wood, which no covering but rug con-
ceals. To the left as one enters is the
study Of Henry Clay-his own work
room. where he studied. wrote and re-
ceived his political and other friends.
Directly ahead as one enters the front
door is q broad entrance to double
drawing-room richly furnished and
adorned with pictures and family por-
traits. This in turn leads into an
octagonal dome-covercd library lined
with polished wood throughout The
shelves on all sides contain thousands
of volumes, many of them of great
value. To the right of the square hall
and in one corner rises broad and
richly designed staircase of polished
ash.
Major Mcdowell greeted his visitor
cordially and very cheerfully gave
him such information about the
old place as was needed. Many
visitors came to Ashland and all
were made welcome. Unfortunately,
there were but few relics of the old
times or the old occupants, but the
Major showed a picture of curious old
bedstead used by his wife's grandpar-
ents, now in possession of another
member of the family.
One can see that the Major him
self is not much of an antiquarian, and
that his bump of reverence for dis
tinguished ancestry was either never
developed or has shrivelcd up in the
constant presence of his surroundings.
l think no law of hospitality is violated
in the remark that l believe the Major
would much rather talk horses than
Henry Clay. 1t was pretty hard to
keep him off the subject of Dictator
colts and King Rene filliss. The Major.
however. showed portrait of Henry
Clay hanging in the hall at the age of
forty. painted by Matthew JOuett.
a Kentucky artist; also an old
daguerreotype of the man at
sixty-seven. The house and its
fittings are so modern and the latter
are so elegant, for Major Mcdowell
is = man of wealth, that one finds
it more interesting in searching for
"reminiscences of Clay to wander about
the grounds. gaze upon the trees
he planted with his own hands, upon
the outbuildings. such as the old barn
and the ice-houses that are as they
were half century ago. and walk in
the paths he laid out and graded. The
view from the front of the mansion is a
beautiful one. 1t takes into the piano.
rama the town of Lexington. and a
mile beyond the Clay monument pierces
the heavens. tiny object. but clear
and Yell-defined.
The only son of Henry Clay alive is
John NJ. Clay, whose residence and the
stables of his string of thOroughbreds
are in plain view of Ashland. John NJ.
is nothing more than a very respect
able citizen. He has inherited none Of
his fathers great mental gifts.
The eldest son was James B. Clay,
whom Taylor put into the diplomatic
service. He inherited Ashland from
his father, and during the war. it will
be remembered, became Secessionist,
and to save himself from trouble took
refuge in Canada. He died without
issue. Hery Clay, jr., the favority son.
went to the Mexican war rs Lieutenant
Colonel of Kentucky regiment, and
was killed at Buena Vista. His only
child. daughter, is wife of Major
Mcdowell, and the mother of grown
young men Just out of Yale. Thomas
H. Clay. another son. was appointed by
President Lincoln Minister to Nicara-
qua. He was quite prominent in poll
tics as Republican. but he. too. died
some time after the war. And so are
fast dwindling in number the older Of
the descendants Of Henry Clay.-Cor.
Chicago Tribune.